At Comic Con this past weekend Marvel announced that Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is set to hit theatres in 2017 a week before the first one is even released. This was a huge risk especially because the comic series of Guardians of the Galaxy does not have a fan base anywhere near that of Spiderman or X-Men. So why Guardians of the Galaxy? Because there is nothing like it!
Director and screenwriter James Gunn deserves all the credit for this one of a kind super hero flick. He chose to incorporate a lot of comedy throughout the movie. This distracts the audience from the confusing planet names, character names, and proper weaponry terminology that makes other space odysseys impossible to follow. He also cast the perfect team with the help of the amazing Sarah Finn. Even though you may not recognize the name you’ve definitely seen her work. Since Iron Man is 2008 she has been the casting director for multiple Marvel movies including The Avengers, Thor and Captain America. She has done an incredible job finding actors who truly embody the essence of each character from the comic book, bringing their own interpretation to the big screen.
We’ve seen Zoe Saldana kick butt before but not like this. While it’s known she loves spending an afternoon at the shooting range, a gun seems to be her last resort in this film. Her athleticism and incredible flexibility are apparent. She also has a way of using subtle acting choices despite her heavy make up. A WWE star was the perfect choice for Drax the Destroyer. Dave Bautista proves that acting is inherent for wrestling stars. His comedic timing is impeccable and he vibes off of the other actors as if they’ve been working together for years. Chris Pratt as the quick witted Peter Quill is vibrant and engaging. He was honestly the perfect choice. Other actors that screen tested for the role include Joseph Gordon Levitt, Aaron Paul and Eddie Redmayne. Despite their incredible acting chops none of them have the innate comical sensibilities required to make Starlord as cheeky as Pratt does.
The star of this movie hands down is the animation and special effects team, along with the sound editors and voice talent. Grut is literally a living plant monster who can only say “I am Grut.” Though Vin Diesel, who was the voice of Grut, didn’t have much to work with the animators do a spectacular job using Grut’s eyes to convey emotions and intentions clearly to the audience. The ultimate gold star, however, goes to the team responsible for the crass, genius mastermind himself, Rocket the Racoon. Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler were both rumored to be considered for this rambunctious rodent but would have been a more wacky almost joke of a character. Bradley Cooper, whose voice is almost unrecognizable, chose a grounded relatable voice making Rocket as real as a gun slinging racoon could be. Also the animation is far from a cartoon. The audience can see every strand of hair and every whisker move just like the humanoid characters in the movie.
Other honorable mentions include: Lee Pace as the maniacal heartless genocidal villain Ronan, John C. Reilly as relatable Corpsmen Dey, and Glenn Close as the strong leader Nova Prime.
So in the end, although the plot is predictable and the length is about 30 minutes too long Guardians of the Galaxy is a summer blockbuster no one should miss. It is truly a unique addition to the Marvel Universe that leaves its audience in fits of laughter. Bring on the sequel!!!
Guardians of the Galaxy hits theaters nationwide this Friday August 1st.
Final Score: 4/5
